


asleep in our forgetting

by Highsmith (quimtessence)



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Banter, Chocolate Box 2020, Identity Issues, M/M, Post-IT (2017), Random Encounters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:26:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22609246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quimtessence/pseuds/Highsmith
Summary: An unexpected meeting.
Relationships: Bill Denbrough/Stanley Uris
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	asleep in our forgetting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [owenmeany](https://archiveofourown.org/users/owenmeany/gifts).



> Title from Pablo Neruda.

It's a Tuesday, just shy of four PM, and Bill is standing somewhere on Market Street, not quite downtown Portland but close enough for government work. Just standing around in the middle of the sidewalk holding his messenger bag snuggly to his side and trying to decide whether it's more worth it to head home for the day or mentally battle the chaos of a public setting to get the minimum amount of writing done he needs to justify another day of working part-time. Figuring out his one-bedroom is bound to be exponentially more depressing and less conducive to actual work takes far less time when put in perspective, and he nods to himself slightly before ambling over to the nearest pub-like establishment within eyesight.

He's got his work with him, so he might as well get some actual work done.

Unsurprisingly, he gets carded straight away. Never mind that he could have been about to order a water with lemon as far as anyone knows. The guy behind the counter is taller than him, which is not hard to accomplish, wearing a pinched expression while staring from Bill's face to his ID and back.

One eyebrow lifts minutely. Eyes shift to his, suspicion plain. "January fourth?"

He doesn't say, _See?_ But only because he would, in fact, like a cold one, thanks.

"Technically, I'm closer to twenty-two than not," he says carefully.

The guy coughs under his breath while turning away. He comes back to hand Bill his ID back, his other hand holding a clean glass to the faucet. He fills it up wordlessly. It's perfectly decent beer, once Bill finally gets to taste it, just as cold as he wanted it. He chugs a third of it in one go, and notices the same eyebrow as before lifting much more markedly than before over the rim of his glass. He sets it down almost guiltily, but by then his cranky bartender has moved down to the other end of the bar.

He settles himself at the nearest table with bar access which isn't within eyesight of the door.

He gets some work done. Not a lot. He drinks a bit, but, to his mind, not as much as he could be doing if he had a computer. But then he would be stuck in his room over the summer. Not a fun prospect.

"Interested in our Tuesday Night Trivia?"

"Tuesday Night Trivia? Uh, no?" He hasn't even heard the guy approach. Now he's standing by Bill's table, hovering.

"Hmm," the guy says. Then, "Last call is eleven thirty."

"Huh."

"We close at midnight."

"Oh."

"It's a Tuesday," he says, frowning now.

That is... factual. Confusion must be plain on his face, because this guy huffs through his entire upper body before leaning in and eyeballing Bill critically.

"There's a nice coffee place two blocks down."

"I don't drink coffee. And I'm hot. Uh, it's hot outside, and you have cold beer in here, so."

He guy leaves in a huff. Bill notices after he's gone that he has a fresh glass, condensation shining against the outside of the glass, by his elbow.

"So you're a college kid?" Kid? They must be the same age, and, realistically, Bill might be older, though they let the kid tend bar, so.

"I'm part-timing until the semester starts. It's the only way I can stay here over the summer."

"It's your senior year, right?" That obvious?

"Yep." He pops the p and feels like an obnoxious twat about it a second later, but the guy doesn't seem to notice, although Bill ducks his head all flustered anyway.

"Are you free weekends, too?" Bill nods. "Me, too."

Is this a...? It can't be. Unless.

But the guy's already walked away. Bill smiles to himself anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> I realised late I never named Stan by name, but then I got kind of into it, the whole identity issue there, so I hope you're into it, too.
> 
> 02/22/2020: [rhubarbdreams @ tumblr](https://rhubarbdreams.tumblr.com/)


End file.
